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PATENTED' NOV. 27 GILBERT. FIGURE TOY.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 29,1906- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Application filed May 29, 1906. Serial No- 319,328.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALTER VILLA GIL- BERT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of London, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented an Improvement in Fi ure Toys, of which the following is a specifIcation.

My improved figure toy simulates in a greater or less degree a bird, reptile, insect, or other animate creature provided with a beak, jaws, or mandibles.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a spring device which forms the subject of my application for patent, Serial No. 316,047, filed May 9, 1906. The said device is adapted to be actuated by compression in opposing directionsthat is, by bringing the apices of the back thereof in nearer relation, so as to impart a plurality of motions in various directions and to recover its normal position upon release from compression. In this instance the said device is so constructed and arranged that what have been termed the sides or wings thereof are extended or lengthened so as to constitute the beak, jaws, or mandibles of the bird, reptile, insect, or other creature represented in whole or in part by the toy figure, such extended portion being preferably ribbed or corrugated. The details of construction, arrangement,

- and operation are as hereinafter described,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a bird having a beak and parts for operating it constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the figure. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the head of the figure, the beak members being shown closed instead of open, as in Figs. 1 and 2, and a crest being also shown. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the head of the figure. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the head of the figure. Figs. 7 and 8 are views representin modifications of the means for operating file beak, jaws, or mandibles. Fig. 9 is a side view indicating the fashioning of the extensions of the spring device when constituting the jaws of a reptile, such as an alligator.

The invention forming the subject of my aforesaid application, Serial No. 316,047, is an elastic or resilient device formed from a blank of resilient material having, preferably,

the form of an oblong rectangle. The blank or plate is folded crosswise, so as to form a bow, and the back of the bow is indented transversely and upon a straight line. The sides or wings projecting from such back lie practically parallel and are curved or concave on the inner side. The portions of the back lying on each side of the transverse indentation are fiat and practically triangular in shape. By applying pressure to the ends or apices of such trian ular portions the back is caused to bend at t e indentation and the jaws or wings are caused to move toward each other or close, and upon release of pressure they expand or open.

In the accompanying drawings a figure A, which simulates a crow, raven, or analogous bird, is shown provided with a beak comprising upper and lower members B B, whose inner ends are connected by an indented bowed spring C. As will be understood by reference to my invention as described in my application Serial No. 316,047, these parts B, B, and C constitute a flexible compound spring-lever, the same being formed from a plate or other blank by ,bending it in one direction to form a bow and then indenting the back of the bow transversely and centrally. A device so formed is adapted when pressure as aforesaid is applied to the ends or apices of the bow to compress the sides or wings, which in this case constitute the beak or jaw members B B.

The base of the device is located in the head portion of the representative bird, and an attachment may be effected, as indicated in Figs. 2, 6, by cutting out portions cfrom the bowed spring 0 and bending the same outwardly and connecting them to the sides of the head, as at c. It will be seen that the ends or apices of the device are extended laterally, and by forming openings in the side of the head of the bird such ends or apices are accessible for the application of pressure by means of the thumb and finger, and resultant upon such compression the beak members B B will close, as indicated in Fig. 3. The lower member B is provided with an opening I) (see Fig. 3) extending into the lower end of the indented portion b, and when the beak is open, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the tongue D, which represents the gullet, is closed; but when the beak members B B close together this portion or "ullet D opens. Thus if any article of sufiicient ly small size to,

I the birds beak and compression as aforesaid be applied to the spring 0 the figure will present the act of swallowing the said article,-

which will thus ass down into the body of the figure, and if the bird be simultaneously given a forward impetus it will simulate the act of pecking. Various means may be employed for applying compression to the spring C, and I illustrate one form in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. As shown best in Fig. 4, two arms E are pivoted together at e and their upper ends are connected by pins e with the ends or apices of the spring C. The other endsie of the members E project downward within the body A of'the bird figure and lie adjacent to the sides of the same, which be-.

ing elastic and compressible it is apparent that by applying pressure by means of'the hand to the body the pin ends of the levers E will apply pressure to the spring 0, and thus cause. the. beak members B B" to close, as shown in Fig. 3. Wings F are pivoted at fto the body A, and they are operatively connected with the levers E by means of bars G, that slide through slots in the body A and connect with or bear against the inner sides of the wings F at points adjacent to the pivots f. These sliding bars may be connected with the levers, by slot and pin 9, as shown. It isapparent that when the beak members B B close, as shown in Fig. 3, the wings will at the same time move outward. It is to be further understood that the legs of a reptile may be actuated in substantially the same manner as are the wings of a bird.

In Fig. 7 I show another means for operating the springdevice whose extensions constitute the beak or jaws, said means comprising a string or wire H, which is looped through openings at c in the ends or apices of the bowed back of the spring device and is connected with a pull string or wire H, which passes through a hole in a guide-bar I, that will in'practice be suitably arranged within the body of the figure. In Fig. 8 I show another modification in which a bowed or bent spring J is connectedat its ends with the apices of the springdevice, and it is apparent that upon applying pressure against the side members of the spring the device C will be actuated as before described. The figure representing a bird is provided with a crest K, consisting of a suitably-constructed part adapted to project more or less through a slot ain the head of the figure and attached to the upper beak member or jaw B, and consequently partaking to a certain degree of the reciprocating movements of the latter. Thus when compression is applied to the ends or apices of the bow C and the beak members B B close, as indicated in Fig. 3, the crest is projected from the slot at to a greaterdegree than before. It will thus be seen that the beak or jaws, the wings, the

gullet, and the crest are all moved simultaneously; but it will be understood that the wings, crest, and gullet may be dispensed with and the movement restricted to the beak alone.

In Fig. 9 I show the spring device constructed in such manner as to indicate strong resemblance to an alligator or crocodile, the jaw members being toothed. A rod L is attached to the lower jaw and jointed with an arm that is pendent from a part M, representing an eye, which is consequently rotated forward and back when the jaws close and open.

It is apparent that the body of'a bird, reptile, insect, or. other creature which the toy may be made to represent to a greater or less degree may be practically. dispensed with. and a simple handle-bar or other attachment provided, the same being practically a mere extension of the head of'thefigure. Such attachment would be adapted to be held in or fitted to the hand, and the manipulation of the beak or jaws could beeflected in. any preferred manner, or-,dispensing with the convenience attending use of-the bar or handle attachment, I may employ the head alone, or so much thereof as may serve to hold and partially conceal the bowed or back portion of the spring device. I may also inclose the base of the spring device in a hood formed of suitable fabric and adapted to receive and conceal the hand which operates the device by compression, and such hood will preferably be painted, stamped, or otherwise made to represent the upper portion of the body of a bird or reptile. Y

1.. A toy figure having the head portion provided with extended and opposed parts, constituting a beak, jaw or the like, the portions thereof external to .the head being ribbed or corrugated partially along their length, a spring connecting their rear ends, whereby upon the application of due pressure, the compression of thespring efiects the closure of the beak members or jaws, substantially as described.

2. A toy figure having a head provided with extended or opposed parts constituting. a beak or jaws, a spring connecting the latter and formed integrally therewith, the same being in bow shape indented transversely, 'and theends or apices arrangedicontiguous to the sides of the head of the figure and adapted for application of pressure for closing thebeak or jaws, substantially as described.

3. A toy figure having a head provided with extended portions constituting a beak or jaws, and a spring connecting their rear ends and the same upon application of pressure causing the beak or jaws to close, and a device representing a crest, the same being attached to the upper beak member or jaw and thusmoving with it when compression is ap-.

plied so that the said crest is raised and projected at such time, substantially as described.

4. In a toy figure having the head provided with extended or opposed portions constituting a beak or jaws, and an indented bowed spring connecting their rear ends and arranged transversely, the combination with the said spring and projecting members of means for forcing the ends or apices of the bowed spring nearer each other, whereby the beak or jaws are closed, substantially as described.

5. A toy figure, having extended beak or jaw portions, and an indented bowed spring connecting their rear ends, wings connected at the side of the body of the figure, and means arranged within the body and connected with the ends of the said spring and extended downward within the body and arranged contiguous to the sides thereof so that compression may be applied thereto, and devices which operatively connect the wings with such means, so that upon the closure of the beak or aw members the wings are thrown outward, substantially as described.

6. A toy figure simulating a bird or other creature and having a compressible body and a head provided with extended beak or jaw members, and an indented bowed spring connecting the rear ends thereof, and means arranged within the said body and operatively connected with the aforesaid spring so that upon the application of pressure to the sides of the body, the spring is in turn compressed and the beak or jaw members close, substantially as described.

7. A toy figure comprising a body provided with hinged legs or wings, beak or jaw members projecting from the head and connected with an indented bowed spring, levers pivoted together within the body and their upper ends connected with the apices of the said spring, and their lower ends projecting downward and laterally, so that pressure may be applied to them upon the outside, and bars attached to the levers and projecting through the body of the figure and operatively connected with the legs or wings so that the latter are vibrated with the beak or jaw members, substantially as described.

8. A toy comprising a head portion, and a device comprising jaws or beak members extended therefrom,and a back connecting such jaws or beak members, the same bein attached to said head portion, substantially as described.

9. A toy comprising a spring device formed of opposing members extended and representing the jaws of a living creature, an indented bowed back connecting the said members, a part to which the back is attached, the said members being extended forward therefrom, substantially as described.

10. A toy comprising a spring device formed of opposing members representing jaws, and a connecting transversely-indented spring composing the back of the device, a part to which said back is attached, and means for applying compression to force the jaws toward each other, substantially as described.

11. A toy comprising a spring device formed of opposing members and a connecting back spring, a part to which such device is attached, the same simulating the body of a real or allegorical creature, substantially as described.

WVALTER VILLA GILBERT.

Vitnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMoN, AMos W. HART. 

